Plastic bag with integral handle

ABSTRACT

A plastic bag having an integral straplike handle at its upper end and having a bottom gusset or satchel bottom construction which unfolds under the weight of items carried in the bag into a three dimensional configuration.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Emanuel Kugler 124 Richmond Ave.,Lawrence, N.Y. 11559 [2]] Appl. No. 808,581 [22] Filed Mar. 19, 1969[45] Patented May 25, 1971 [54] PLASTIC BAG WITH INTEGRAL HANDLE 3Claims, 12 Drawing Figs.

[5 2] US. Cl 229/54, 150/12, 229/61 [51] hit. Cl ..B65d 31/08, 365d 3 3/10 [50] Field of Search 229/54, 58, 61; 150/ l 2 [56] References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 3,490,682 l/l970 Schwartzkopf 229/54 l/1970Niemeyer 4/1965 Thulin FOREIGN PATENTS 6/1965 Australia l l 1966 France3/1963 Great Britain. 6/1956 Italy Primary Examiner-Leonard SummerAttorney-Amster and Rothstein ABSTRACT: A plastic bag having an integralstraplike handle at its upper end and having a bottom gusset or satchelbottom construction which unfolds under the weight of items carried inthe bag into a three dimensional configuration.

PATENTEDHAY2SIQH 3580.486

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[V4/wzz Wylie BY pp ATTORNEYS PATENTEUMAYZSIS?! 35 5 sum 2 or 2ATTORNEYS PLASTIC BAG WITH INTEGRAL HANDLE The present invention relatesgenerally to plastic bags and more particularly to an improved plasticbag which is particularly suitable for heavy duty use.

The availability of low cost, heavy gauge plastic materials havingvastly increased strength makes it possible to utilize bags made of suchmaterials in a wide variety of applications, such as shopping bags. Suchbags normally require a handle or other carrying means. In conventionalpaper bags carrying handles are normally attached by stapling, gluing orthe like resulting in a bag of significantly decreased utility due tothe ability of the handle to tear away from the bag and increased cost.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a strong plastic baghaving an integral handle.

A plastic bag demonstrating the objects and advantages of the presentinvention includes a plastic bag formed of either plastic sheet orplastic tubular stock and including a bottom gusset or satchel bottom toincrease the holding capacity of the bag since the handle has sufficientstrength for such a carrying function.

The above brief description as well as further objects, features andadvantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated byreference to the following detailed description and drawings ofpresently preferred embodiments of the present invention, wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the first embodiment of a plastic bagaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1,illustrating further structural features of the bag;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a corner of the bag of FIG. 1;

FIG 4 is a partial perspective view of the side seam or weld of the bagof FIG. I;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the bag bottom in unfoldedcondition;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a second embodiment of a plastic bag accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the bag of FIG. 5 taken along the line 77of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a third plastic bag embodiment accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a partial sectional view of the bag taken along the line 99 ofFIG. 8;

FIG. I0 is a partial front view of an expanded bag bottom for theembodiment shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. II is a bottom view in partially unfolded condition of the bagbottom shown in FIG. 10; and

FIG. I2 is a partial side elevational view in unfolded condition takenalong the line I2-I2 of FIG. 10.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1- 3, a firstembodiment of a bag according to the present invention is generallydesignated I0. The bag includes a front wall I2 and a rear wall 14joined to each other along their respective opposite sides by heat sealsor welds I6 and 18. The bag I0 is provided with an integral handle oneend of which 22 is integral with the front face of the bag 12 and theother end 24 of the handle being integral with the rear face of the bagI4.

The bag embodiment of FIG. 1 is formed from tubular film stock in whichthe handle 20 is formed by simultaneously cutting the desired amount ofmaterial from the front and rear faces of the tubular stock whichultimately correspond with faces 12 and 14 of the bag. Completing theconstruction of the bag I0 of FIG. 1 are gusset constructions 26 and 28formed in the integral handle and bag bottom respectively. The handlegusset 26 comprises facing gusset walls 260 and 26b terminating in alower fold line 260. A gussetted handle is particularly advantageous foruse with the gussetted bottom bag since the bag structure is capable oflarge capacity and may be filled to its full width while providingsufficient length of handle for carrying purposes.

Completing the construction of the bag 10 is the previously noted bottomgusset construction 28. The gusset 28-is of the satchel bottom-type andincludes a bottom wall 28a which in the folded or flat condition of thebag 10, forms two half-size wall portions 28b, 28c delineated by a foldline 28d. In the flat condition the fold line 28d occupies a positionbetween the front and rear walls 12 and 14. In a preferred form asillustrated herein the wall portions 28b and 280 are respectivelycontinuations of the front and rear walls 12 and I4 which are formed bya conventional gusset-forming mechanism. The satchel bottom is readilydistinguishable from a conventional gusset however, in that the oppositemarginal edges of the wall portions 28b and 28c are each oriented at a45 angle as clearly shown in the drawings. The second feature consistsof the wall portions 28b, 28c having lines of heat sealing herein,individually and collectively designated 30 connecting said edges to thebottom portions of the front and rear walls 12 and 14, respectively, butotherwise being free of any connection to each other. The unconnectedwall portions 28b and 28c are thus capable of unfolding in oppositelateral directions with respect to side welds I6 and 18 of bag 10 asclearly shown in FIG. 5. Moreover, during this lateral unfolding thesections of wall portions 28b and 280 immediately adjacent to thejuncture of side weld I6 and I8 and heat seal lines 30 unfold in thevertical plane of the side welds l6 and 18. In this manner as best seenin FIG. 5 a triangular section of wall portions 28b and 28c forms anextension of the bag in the vertical plane directly beneath side welds16 and 18, and square-shaped corners are provided at opposite sidesalong the bottom of the bag.

FIGS. 5 through 7 illustrate the details of an alternative embodiment ofthe invention which is particularly suitable when it is desired to printidentifying markings or advertising material on the bag faces. Sincesuch printing operations are not readily adaptable to tubular film stockthe present invention contemplates a plastic bag 32 formed from plasticsheet material, which has normally been preprinted on both its faces. Inthis embodiment the bag comprises a front face 34 and a rear face 36joined to each other along their respective opposite sides by heat sealsor weld 38 and 40. The bag 32 is provided with an integral handle 42comprising a front face 44 integral with face 34 of the bag and a rearface 46 integral with rear face 36 of said bag. Handle portion 44 and 46are joined together at their upper edges by a heat seal or weld 48. Asin the previously described embodiment handle 42 is formed bysimultaneously cutting away plastic material from the portions of thesheet stock which ultimately form faces 34 and 36.

Completing the construction of the bag 32 is a bottom gusset 50, similarto the satchel-type gusset previously described in FIG. 3-5 and beingformed of facing gusset walls 500 and 50b terminating in fold line 50c.

FIGS. 8 through 12 illustrate the details of an integral handle bagformed from tubular film stock which are provided with another form ofgusset bottom. As shown in FIG. 8, a bag generally designated 52 andcomprising front wall 54 and rear wall 56 joined to each other alongtheir respective opposite sides by heat seals or welds 58 and 60 has anintegral handle 62 attached thereto. As previously described withrespect to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the handle 62 is formed bysimultaneously cutting away sections of the tubular stock utilized toform facing walls 54 and 56 while leaving behind the handle-shapedportion 62.

FIG. 9--12 illustrate a bottom gusset which may be used in the bagembodiment shown in FIG. 8 as well as in the other bag embodimentsdepicted herein. In this embodiment the bag 52 is provided with aninward fold forming a gusset'64 comprised of facing gusset walls 640 and64b formed as part of 'the front and rear walls 54 and 56 and convergingalong foldiline 64c. The gusset fold is continuous and is formed in thetubular stock from which the bag 52 is formed prior to the applicationof the heat seals or welds 58 and 60.

FIG. 9 illustrates the gusset when the bag is in the folded condition.FIGS. l012 depict the position of the bottom gusset when the bag isunfolded. In the unfolded position the bag has a generally rectangularconfiguration as illustrated in H0. 12. While the extreme ends of walls64a and 64b are welded into side seams 58 and 60, the major portion ofthese walls moves transversely under the action of added weight untilthe fold line 64c and gusset walls 640 and 6412 are all in the sameplane. This movement results in the formation of an inner triangularsection, defined by fold lines 66, 68 and 70, which is disposed in asubstantially vertical plane with respect to the bag although it isintegral with horizontally disposed gusset walls 64a and 64b. FIG. 1]depicts a bottom view of the bag in partially unfolded condition. Theaction of weight on the bag bottom causes portions 72 and 74 of frontand rear walls 54 and 56 to act as sidewalls of a generally boat-shapedbag. It will be understood by those persons skilled in the art that whenthe bag is fully loaded wall portions 72 and 74 may rotatecounterclockwise about side weld 58 or 60 until they are in a relativelystraight line and the bag bottom has assumed a generally rectangularshape. Regardless of the exact position of portions 72 and 74 they serveto stabilize the bag bottom so that it will be free-standing when placedon a surface.

From the foregoing description it will be readily appreciated that theplastic bag can be advantageously used along with its integral handle tocarry heavy loads. It will be obvious to persons skilled in the art thata wide variety of changes can be made without departing from the spiritof the invention, the true scope of which will now be pointed out in theappended claims.

lclaim:

1. A plastic bag comprising front and rear walls joined to each other attheir respective opposite side edges to define an internal bag enclosurehaving an open mouth and a continuous bottom, said bag having acontinuous strap handle extending from and being .an integral andcontinuous part of said front and rear walls, and said bottom having agusset consisting of a pair of wall portions integral and continuouswith said front and rear walls and across a fold line interposed betweensaid front and rear walls.

2. The bag of claim 1 in which said continuous strap handle has a gussetfor expansion of said handle in response to the addition of weight tosaid bag.

3. The bag of claim 1 wherein said wall portions of said gusset eachhave opposite marginal edges oriented inwardly of said front and rearwalls at a 45 angle and unconnected to each other such that in responseto weight placed on the medial portion of said fold line said marginaledges unfold in opposing lateral directions from each other and theopposite end portions of said fold line adjacent said medial portion ina transverse direction, whereby there is formed a pair of squareshapedcorners at opposite sides along the bottom of said bag.

1. A plastic bag comprising front and rear walls joined to each other attheir respective opposite side edges to define an internal bag enclosurehaving an open mouth and a continuous bottom, said bag having acontinuous strap handle extending from and being an integral andcontinuous part of said front and rear walls, and said bottom having agusset consisting of a pair of wall portions integral and continuouswith said front and rear walls and across a fold line interposed betweensaid front and rear walls.
 2. The bag of claim 1 in which saidcontinuous strap handle has a gusset for expansion of said handle inresponse to the addition of weight to said bag.
 3. The bag of claim 1wherein said wall portions of said gusset each have opposite marginaledges oriented inwardly of said front and rear walls at a 45* angle andunconnected to each other such that in response to weight placed on themedial portion of said fold line said marginal edges unfold in opposinglateral directions from each other and the opposite end portions of saidfold line adjacent said medial portion in a transverse direction,wherEby there is formed a pair of square-shaped corners at oppositesides along the bottom of said bag.